hold my hand, and have no fear
by thingyoulovemost
Summary: the Charmings, post 2x22.


**A/N: Finale feels, sorry. Couldn't help myself. Spoilers for 2x22.**

**Disclaimer: ****************Not my characters, just my words! Credit to the brilliantly evil minds of Kitsis and Horowitz.**

Emma Swan sits slumped against the side of the deck of The Jolly Roger, head in her hands, after they've passed through the portal to Neverland. The sky is black and the sea is dark so there's no use in trying to see anything right now, anyway.

Henry. That bitch and that bastard took her baby. She shot Neal and then she took her baby. Emma can't think, can't breathe, can't feel anything other than an absolute need to do everything in her power to save her son. The little boy who, despite her best efforts when she first came to Storybrooke, worked his way into the deepest parts of her heart without her even knowing. Hell, if she was being honest with herself, he'd been there since the moment she'd first felt him kick and then held him briefly in her arms.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she jumped when she felt a hand stroke her arm and looked up to see it was only her mother standing above her, looking down at her with what Emma knew was the same look of anguish on her own face. Snow sits down next to her daughter and lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding when Emma lays her head on her shoulder. Her hand finds Emma's and she squeezes tight. She hears Emma sniffle and looks down to see her daughter fighting tears, and she says, "Oh honey," which only causes the tears to start rolling down Emma's cheeks. She turns and cups Emma's face tenderly in both hands and says, "Emma we are going to find him. We're going to find him, okay?" She looks at her daughter fiercely, as Emma nods wordlessly. Snow sighs, hating to see the pain in her child's eyes. "Listen, Emma, I know what you're feeling right now. I do. I thought I might never see you again," she says as a soft cry escapes Emma's lips, "but I was wrong. You found me. You found us. Because that's what we do in this family, we always find each other. And we're going to find Henry."

Emma just looks at her for a moment, and then falls into her arms as Snow just rocks them side to side. "I love you, Mom," she hears Emma whisper low as a breath and there's that word again, as the air gets trapped in her lungs. Mom. Despite the anguish and the terror she feels, she also feels this insane love for her daughter whom she's dreamed of hearing say that very word since she knew she would someday exist. A tear rolls down Snow's cheek as she moves her hand across Emma's back and says, "Oh, Emma, I love you too. More than anything in the world."

Snow sees Charming approaching over their daughter's shoulder and waves him over to them. As he comes closer, he notices dried blood on the back of Emma's head and his eyes grow concerned as he frowns and says, "Emma? Are you hurt?"

She pulls away from Snow and says, "Hmm?" as she touches the back of her head and pulls her hand away to see blood lingering on her fingertips. "Oh," she says, "I must have hit my head on the rocks in the mines when Regina and I deactivated the diamond." Her parents share a look of concern and Charming says, "Well let's get that taken care of, okay?"

He reaches out a hand to her to help her up as he says, "That magic probably took a lot out of you, didn't it?" She tries to cover the small stagger in her step as she shakes her head and says, "No, no, I'm fine." When her parents look at each other dubiously she says, "Really, guys. I'm fine. There's no need to overreac-" she stops as a wave of vertigo hits, coupled with an ache in her head that hurts like a bitch. Her hand shoots to her temple as she feels herself slipping, and just when she's sure she's about to have a rendezvous with the floor she registers strong arms lacing around her to catch her fall. Huh, she thinks. Maybe it took more out of her than she originally thought.

"Emma? Emma, honey, can you hear me?" She registers her mother's frantic voice and hands cold from the night air cupping her cheeks as she comes to. Her eyes flutter open to see Snow looking at her with worry, and she notices her father is still holding her close, also looking concerned. "Emma?" he says, a question.

"I.." she starts to say, but the words won't come.

"Emma, sweetheart, you're scaring me." Snow says, looking at her husband. "Bring her over here, in the moonlight. Regina, will you grab one of the water bottles from my backpack please?" Regina nods as she rushes over to the backpack and tosses Snow a bottle.

Charming props Emma up and leans her body against his chest as Snow grabs her chin to force eye contact, as Emma's started to drift off again and says, "Emma, I want you to drink this for me, okay?" She tilts the water back so Emma can drink, and after a moment the color starts to return to her face and Snow and Charming heave a collective sigh of relief. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" Snow says, looking at her daughter with intense worry. Emma closes her eyes but nods nevertheless. "Yeah," she says after a beat. "I'm just, I don't know what happened. It just kind of hit me all of the sudden."

"Magic will do that to you, dearie." Rumplestiltskin says as they all turn to look at him. "You're just a beginner, you'll get used to it."

"I don't really like the sound of that," Charming says uneasily.

"She is the product of true love, remember? True love in human form. Who knows what all she's capable of?" Rumplestiltskin says as Snow and Charming share a look. "I think we're going to see great things from you, Miss Swan." He says with a wink.

Emma shakes her head at that and closes her eyes as she says, "Yeah, well, I think I've had enough magic-doing for one day," leaning into her father as her strength starts to return to her.

"What's this I hear about you having magic, Swan?" Hook saunters over with his signature smirk. Charming shoots him a glare as Hook says, "Whoa, easy there, mate. Just making conversation." Charming moves to get up but Snow lays her hand on his arm, a warning. So he settles for another glare instead.

"Emma, honey, how do you feel?" Snow asks her daughter.

"I really think I'm okay, now. I promise." Snow studies her for a moment then nods, looking to Charming. He shifts Emma as he stands and lifts her gently and slowly to her feet. When a moment passes and she doesn't hit the floor, both parents let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

"Emma, please, don't do that to us again, okay?" Charming says as he makes sure she's still steady on her feet.

Emma scoffs slightly as she says, "Okay, Dad, I'll try my best." She smiles as she watches his jaw start to drop and then close again, and something warm stirs in her heart. Since that moment in the mines, she finds those words weirdly easy to say. Snow White and Prince Charming. Her mom and dad. Still so strange, yet right, she thinks. Yeah, definitely right.


End file.
